Sep 4

Emperor Constantine the Great: Christianity and the Roman Empire

Greg Jenner is joined in ancient Rome by Professor Lucy Grig and comedian Ivo Graham to learn all about Emperor Constantine the Great and the Christianisation of the Roman empire. Born not in Rome but in the Balkans, Constantine’s life was shaped by the turbulent politics of the ... Show More

59 m

Aug 28

History of Underwear: from shirts and stays to bras and briefs

Greg Jenner is joined in western Europe by historian Dr Serena Dyer and comedian and actor Vic Michaelis to learn all about the hidden history of underwear. For as long as people have been wearing clothes, they have been wearing garments under them – Romans at Hadrian’s Wall were ... Show More

1 h

Aug 21

Akhenaten and Nefertiti: religious revolution in ancient Egypt

Greg Jenner is joined in ancient Egypt by historian and curator Dr Campbell Price and comedian Sikisa to learn all about Tutankhamun’s parents, Nefertiti and Akhenaten. As well as their famous son, this ancient Egyptian power couple are best known in the modern age for two reason ... Show More

58m 1s

Jan 2021

Episode #124- What Are the Origins of Martial Arts? (Part I)

Asian martial arts are often coated in a thick layer of of legend. Many fighting styles have elaborate origin stories and mystical founding fathers. These stories often help enhance the prestige of a particular school and inspire new students. However, the "histories" of many of ... Show More

55m 16s

Jan 2021

Episode #125- What Are the Origins of Martial Arts? (Part II)

Martial arts myths are have been described as "savvy marketing". But, the most enduring bits of of fake martial arts history also combine Zen tradition, a Confucian veneration of the past, and a healthy dose of nationalism. Schools of martial arts will sometimes bend over backwar ... Show More

1h 13m

Mar 2014

#14 - E. Zhou 3: Confucius Says...

This episode we chronicle the life of Master Kong A.K.A. Confucius, as well as detail his socio-political philosophies which would shape the future of China, as well as those of much of the rest of East Asia.Less fighting, more thinking, in the first of two interim episodes befor ... Show More

37m 33s

Nov 2020

Kung Fu Panda

♫Everybody was kung fu fighting♫ Want even more WizBru? Support us on Patreon! <a href="Patreon.com/WizBru">Patreon.com/WizBru</a> Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons. ... Show More

1h 9m

Nov 2001

Confucius

Melvyn Bragg examines the philosophy of Confucius. In the 5th century BC a wise man called Kung Fu Tzu said, 'study the past if you would divine the future'. This powerful maxim helped form the body of ideas, which more than Buddhism, more than Daoism, more even than Communism ha ... Show More

28m 16s

Aug 2020

#42 How to Get a Laugh in Chinese

So you think you’re funny? John and Jared discuss some of the cultural differences of Chinese humor and what it takes to get your Chinese friends rolling on the floor in laughter. Guest interview is with Laszlo Montgomery, host of the famous China History Podcast. It's the go-to ... Show More

47m 26s

Mar 2024

Chinese history

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.To mark 50 years since the discovery of the Terracotta Army, we're exploring modern Chinese history.We hear from the man who helped to modernise the Chinese language by creating a ... Show More

52m 5s

Feb 2021

20. China

Broadcaster and historian Michael Wood joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to discuss the world’s oldest civilisation. What were the great moments in Chinese history and why do the Opium Wars still feature so prominently in the modern Chinese school syllabus? The birth of the ... Show More

58m 52s

Emperor Nero: ancient Rome’s most infamo...